


The Unicorn

by RebeccaAnabelBurrows



Series: Terfs aren't allowed at Hogwarts [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Death, Friendship, Gen, Good Friends, Hogwarts Professors, Hunters & Hunting, Original LGBT Character, Poaching, Ravenclaw, Transphobia, Unicorns, honestly it's not as gloomy as it sounds, mentions of misgendering, only implied I think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-18 03:49:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21921310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebeccaAnabelBurrows/pseuds/RebeccaAnabelBurrows
Summary: Max*, our heroine, and her friend Icarus are running late for class. What they don't know is that Professor Creevey has a surprise for his students - they are going to see a real unicorn, and the girls will be allowed to touch it.The thing is, Max really wants to touch an unicorn but Icarus is the only person at Hogwarts who knows she is a girl.*Max is a nickname (in reference to Maximum Ride) and potentially my character's future chosen name but in no way her deadname
Relationships: Dennis Creevey/Gabrielle Delacour (implied), OC & OC
Series: Terfs aren't allowed at Hogwarts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1578760
Kudos: 4





	The Unicorn

**Author's Note:**

> As a cis writer of HP fanfictions, I think it's important to react after Rowling's transphobic tweet from last week. I know those holidays with family reunions can be hard enough when you are LGBT+ and Rowling's words are not helping - they were false and frankly disgusting. Fandoms should be safe places and people should feel welcomed in them. It's important to stand for minorities, especially when they are viciously attacked like that and you're in the privileged crowd.
> 
> I was already working on making my works inclusive but this series of one shots is especially written in support of the transgender and gender non-conforming communities, with main transgender or gender non-conforming leads. However, I am a cis woman so please don't hesitate to call me out on things I get wrong and should correct.

« Come on, Max ! We're going to be late ! » Icarus said, tugging at his roommate's sleeve for the third time.

The young girl sighed, put the book she was reading in her schoolbag and went along. Today's lessons started with Care of Magical Creatures for the 5h year Ravenclaw's students.  
There were worse courses (namely, Professor Brown's Divination classes if you ask her) than Dennis Creevey's, however it would have been nice if his class was less theorical. 

Max could admit to the difficulty of making real magical creatures meet untrained teenagers but you could only learn so much about griffins and Brownies without seeing some in real life. 

For this class, Professor Creevey had asked them to meet him at the limits of the Forbidden Forest. Last time he had done so, he had presented them Thestrals. Max couldn't get the full experience – which was apparently a blessing – but petting an invisible creature had been a fun experience. 

Icarus, Max's best friend, was the only one who had been able to see them, except for Dennis Creevey. The professor had allowed him to ride the creature under his supervision, and Icarus' gloomy mood had brightened. Professor Creevey could be nice like that. 

When they reached the small group gathered into a circle around Professor Creevey, the two teenagers were out of breath. Shane and Maggie, the infamous Hufflepuff's twins, made space for them. They thanked them quietly and took place in the circle.

Both were stunned by the sight that greeted them. Nothing could have prepared them to such an encounter. In the circle, at a respectable distance of all students, stood Professor Gabrielle Delacour. It wasn't unheard of that some professors assist others for a course or two in the year, and Delacour and Creevey were rumored to be friends, if not lovers. 

No, what surprised the student wasn't the mere presence of their Charms' Professsor, or even the lack of their Care of Magical Creatures' Professor at her side. Professor Creevey had been careful to stay in the circle and not to go nearer the woman at his center and the creature she was petting.

« Please tell me I am not dreaming. » Icarus murmured, transfixed.

Max shook her head vigorously, unable to talk. Her eyes felt teary. Seeing an unicorn was rare, so rare most people wouldn't see one in a lifetime. Max didn't know that, not precisely, but even her Muggleborn self could feel it was a special, unique occasion. 

« So, I think all our latecomers have managed to find us at last. Please do remember this class starts at 8 o'clock next time. As you can see, Gab- Professor Delacour, that is, will give me an hand with this course. Your Charms' Professor and I were taking a night walk in a forest nearby looking for Scottish giant silver bats about ten days ago when we went across the corpse of an unicorn which had been deprived of her horn and hair. A wounded ,younger one was calling for her not far away. »

The professor paused, looking at his fascinated students and felt a bit relieved when none mentionned anything about him and Gabrielle having night walks during the holidays.

« Aurors are still looking for the culprits. Killing protected creatures is very wrong and is punished by law. » he added, shaking his head sadly.

All eyes were glued to the little creature rubbing his muzzle against Professor Delacour's hip. 

« After having been granted the temporary custody of Moon to take care of him until he was well enough to be released into nature, we asked Headmister Longbottom if it was possible to bring him here so we could heal him properly and then release him in this forest, where there had been previous unicorn's sightings. Is there something you would like to add, Professor Delacour ? »

The woman blinked before collecting herself. It wasn't the first time she had seen an unicorn, but the occurrence was rare enough and she hadn't paid much attention to her fellow professor's explanations, more interested in the creature they were about to release.

« Thank you. I was just about to remind you basic facts about unicorns. They will get aggressive if men try to touch them. »

She looked intently at the other professor.

« Please listen to her. I have scars to prove that. Moon attacked me when I tried to have a better look at his wounds and I wouldn't have been able to calm him if your professor haven't intervened. Even an injured foal like him can give you permanent injuries, so boys please don't go closer. Please go on, Professor. »

They shared a quick smile.

« Unicorns, including this foal's mother, had been hunted by the very wealthy for centuries. They usually keep horns for trophies. However, this practice had been forbidden since 1873, when biologists noticed they were becoming an endangered species. They have many magical propierties, and that's why unicorn hair is sometimes used to make wands, and you'll find unicorn tears in very powerful potions. However, those are obtained legally, from unicorns in shelters. »

Students started mumbling, some stating that it was barbaric anyway. 

« Moon is getting impatient. He had fully recovered from his ordeal and is ready to wander about the forest once again. Girls, if you want to touch him before we release him, queue up. We'll come back to the theorical side of the class after. Before anyone asks, the « only virgins can touch unicorns » is a myth. Sex doesn't taint you contrary to outdated beliefs. »

Some of the students giggled. If you looked carefully, you could see that some girls were relieved. Some of the boys looked disappointed that they couldn't touch the unicorn, but Dennis Creevey had – purposefully – folded his sleeves and the scars on his forearms seemed impressive enough to dissuade them to try. 

Max stepped a foot closer, unnoticed by the others, whose eyes were all riveted to the baby unicorn in front of them. Except for Icarus, who held her back.

« What are you doing ? Don't you think I can do it ? » she whispered angrily.

She had crossed her arms on her chest. For a few seconds, her best friend looked at her blankly, unsure of what she was reproaching him, before understanding hit him.

« What ? No ! Of course you can do it, but do you want to ? » he said in the same ushed tone.

His best friend made a face.

« Who wouldn't want to touch an unicorn ? » she whispered back.  
It was obvious everyone in the circle would have liked to. All the girls were in the queue, waiting for their turn, and they beamed once they have touched the foal's pelage.

« I meant do you want to out yourself to them ? Because it's what you're going to do if you join the other girls in this. » Icarus stated in a low voice.

It disconcerted Max. She hadn't taking this into consideration. She wasn't ready, was she ? 

« I - » she said, looking at the girls and the animal with longing.

Icarus squeezed her hand gently. Max felt grateful for it but it caught Maggie's attention and they saw her whispering something in Gemina's ear who looked at them sharply. No doubt people would be talking about it. 

« Thanks. » she said, squeezing back, before stepping forward. 

She wanted this. She wanted this so much, she had to do it. 

« That's my girl. » she heard him say quietly when she went away from him.

Some of her classmates issued warnings when they saw her getting closer to the magical creature. Professor Longbottom looked frantic and was about to join her – along with one or two Gryffindor's boys but Professor Delacour pacified all with hand gestures. Max stopped, breathing heavily, not daring to move.

« Are you sure, Max? » Professor Delacour asked gently.

The student startled. She was always misgendered by unknowing teachers. Having her Professor calling her a name she felt at ease to respond to was something she wasn't used to.  
She looked back at Icarus, who gave her the thumbs up.

Maggie and Shane's eyes seemed ready to escape from their sockets. 

« You go, girl ! » Icarus mouthed to her.

She turned back, looking straight at her professor. She seems okay with this. It would go well. She could do it. 

« Yes, Professor. » she said, before queuing behind Koralia Nott.

The foal had remained unperturbed as she went closer. She was no only a few feet away and the creature didn't seem to mind at all. She breathed easier, waiting for her turn. She knew the others were talking. She knew they would talk for some time. Girls were casting glances at her as discreetly as they could. 

« You're going to love it. » Summer said, patting her shoulder awkwardly, on her way back after having petted the young unicorn.

« Together ? » Koralia asked, when they were the last two girls waiting.

Max nodded, and each girl put their hand on Moon's fur at the same time, giggling with excitement.  
It was soft, and Max felt her whole being warm at the contact. A really magical sensation.  
After that, they let the foal go and looked at him disappear into the forest. Koralia stayed with Max, conscious that they had shared an unique experience. Icarus joined them.

The class had ended but the three of them were still looking at the trees between which Moon had entered the forest.

« How was it ? » Icarus asked, curiosity and envy pointing in his voice.

« Magical. » Koralia said earnestly. « I love being a girl. » 

« Me too. » Max said, smiling.

They looked at each other in understanding while Icarus shook his head, smiling too.

The memory of that day will stay with them for a long time.


End file.
